Improvement in rotary steam-engines



C. GBOTZ.

Rotary Steam-Engines.

Patented July 15, 1873.

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AM. PHD TO-LITHOBRAPHIL 00 M14 (assomvslc PRO 0555:)

CHARLES GROTZ, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, D. B. DEN- NISON, J. T. HAOKWORTH, J. G. HUTOHISON, W. T. MAJOR, AND AL- LEN JOHNSTON, OF SAME PLACE; I

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,9 1 1, dated July 15, 1873; application filed May 22, 1873.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Gnorz, of Ottumwa, Wapello county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is an improvement on the rotary steam-engine, for which Letters Patent were issued to me and D. B. Dennison, jointly, on the 26th November, 1872, No. 133,441.

The improvements herein described relate principally to the packing of the. inner eccentric drum and the piston-plate which plays through it, the object being to obtain such an organization of parts as will render every joint between the steam-cylinder, piston, and drum steam-tight, and permanently so, the packing being so arranged as to take up any wear that may occur.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved engine With one of the cylinder-heads removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the cylinder and valve-chest. Fig. 3 is a section on the line as y, Fig. 2.

The remaining figures represent detached parts, hereinafter referred to.

A is the steam-cylinder; B, the eccentric drum, having its ends closed, and provided with journals or shafts b, rotating in eccentric bearings in the heads of the cylinder. 0 c are 1 the ports for entrance and exit of steam, and

c is the exhaust. -G is the valve-chest, and D a valve covering the exhaust c, and one or the other of the ports 0. The valve D is pro vided with a suitable stem'or handle, D, by

means of which it can be shifted to bring either of the ports 0 into communication with the exhaust, and so reverse or direct the movement of the engine at pleasure. Grooves a are formed in the cylinder to facilitate passage of steam to and from the ports 0. Between ports 0, on the inner face of the cylinder, there is a packing-separator strip, E, pressed against the drum B, or its piston, at all times, to prevent communication between the exhaust and f placed at the bottom of the groove.

live-steam sides of the engine. This separatorstrip is shown detached with its spring in Fig. 8, and it is held up against the drum by either spring pressure or steam pressure, or both.

The engine thus far described does not, excepting as to construction and arrangement of the steam-valve, differ materially from the engine in the Letters Patent above referred to.

Extending diametrically through the drum is a sliding piston-plate, F, provided at its ends with rocking packing-strips (1, having a crosssection, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The outer ends of these strips are of considerably greater width than the thickness of the piston-plate, both to get. a wider bearing-surface on the concave interior of the cylinder, and also a more extended surface for the steam to act against, the steam aiding materially, even when the packing is outwardly pressed by spring power, in holding the packing tight- 1y against the cylinder. This piston-packing d may be outwardly pressed, either by steam or a sprin g. i

The arrangement I prefer is shown in the drawing. The rounded inner ends of the packing-strips are placed in slots in the top and bottom edges of the piston, resting upon supporting-pieces e, which in turn rest upon springs One of these supporting pieces and its spring are shown detached in Fig. 6.

To make a tight joint between the pistonpla-te and the head of the cylinder, I place in grooves, in the side edges, spring packing strips g, one of which, with its spring, is shown detached in Fig. 7.

I have also found it necessary to make a tight joint between the ends of the drum and the cylinder-heads, and to this end I form in the ends of the drum, on each side of the piston-plate, semi-annular grooves, in which are fitted spring-packing strips h of correspondingly-curved shape. One of these strips is shown detached in Fig. 4. It is pressed outwardly by one or more springs of suitable construction and formation, as is the case of the packing-strips, before described.

The arrangement of these various packings is shown plainly in Figs. 1 and 3. The pistonblade is completely surrounded on its edges with packing, and the ends of the drum are also provided with the same, so that steamtight joints at all points between the cylinder and drum and piston are obtained. The whole arrangement is also very compact, and not liable to get out of order. The engine is thereby kept in perfect operative condition, and whatever wear there may be is at once I taken up, as it occurs, by one or the other of the packing-strips, as the case may be.

I have further found it extremely desirable to prevent steam from entering the drum, as the piston Works back and forth through it, as the steam is liable at times to escape or leak through the piston-slot into the wrong side of the engine, and also to prevent the wear, which may be occasioned by the constant movement of these parts, from at all deranging the piston-plate. To this end I arrange a spring-packing strip, 6, in a groove in the edge of the slot, through which the pistonplate passes, at the point on each side of the drum where the said plate passes out from the drum. This arrangement is shown plainly in Fig. 2, the lower packing-strip being arranged on one side of the piston, and the upper pack- 'ried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In combination with the steam-cylinder, eccentric drum, and reciprocating piston-plate, the side-spring packing-strips and end rocking-packing pieces for the piston-plate, and the end-spring packing-strips for the drum, said parts being constructed and arranged together for operation substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES GROTZ.

Witnesses:

H. G. HARROW, B. R. HAMILTON. 

